Lil Blair Added To 4 Winds / Malaco Roster

At the American Gospel Quartet Convention in Birmingham this past week, during the Hall of Fame Luncheon, in front of a couple of hundred witnesses, 4 Winds / Malaco signed Lil Blair & The Fantastic Heirs. WHAAAAT! Lil Blair & The Fantastic Heirs, WHAAAAT! Lil Blair & The Fantastic Heirs… OKAY!!! (Couldn’t resist) Lol!!!

Formally known as Lil Blair & The Fantastic Violinaires, the group has officially dropped that name to begin a new era in their Quartet Gospel ministry and music recording career.

In my opinion, Lil Blair is much too young and talented to spend his entire career as what may be perceived by some to be a gimmick or tribute band to his mentor, the late great Robert Blair. I am excited that he has chosen to honor the Quartet legend and keep his legacy alive by taking everything he had learned from him and applying it to his own unique ministry in which Robert Blair himself gave his blessings and passed the mantle to as his true apparent heir.

R&B Singer Pendergrass Dead In Pa. At 59

R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass died Wednesday evening, his former publicist said. He was 59.

Pendergrass, known for smash love ballads such as "Turn Off the Lights" and "Love TKO," died after a long illness, according to Lisa Barbaris, who described herself as a close friend and his last publicist.

He died at a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was born.

His family did not reveal details about his illness, but said it was related to complications from a 1982 car accident, Barbaris said.

"His beloved family surrounded him. The world has lost one of its greatest voices and performers," a statement from Barbaris said.

"His family is devastated. He has three children and, even though it was expected, it still hurts," she said.

The crooner, who many affectionately knew as just "Teddy," started in music with a group called the Cadillacs in the late 1960s and was still with the group when it merged with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, according to his official Web site.

He started as a drummer, but soon began to sing lead after the group heard his powerful voice.

In 1972, Pendergrass's baritone could be heard on the classic Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes song "If You Don't Know Me by Now."

The song became a No. 1 hit across the country and led Pendergrass to many other hits and accolades.

After going solo, Pendergrass received several Grammy nominations, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award and an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, Barbaris said.

In 1982, Pendergrass was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed. But Pendergrass returned to the studio in 1984 in his wheelchair to record an album.

Before his death, Pendergrass was working on a musical documenting his life, called "I Am Who I Am."

~ CNN 1/14/2010

B HAMP….The artist that brought you “Do The Rick Bobby” is back!

Brandon “B-Hamp” Hampton is the artist responsible for the dance craze that swept the nation “Do the Ricky Bobby”. This song that was based off of the movie “Talledega Nights” quickly took off throughout the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Georgia and eventually became a hit on BET staying on the 106 & Park countdown for over 6 weeks.

After peeking at number 68 on the Billboard hot 100, B-Hamp is now working on his sophomore project with yet another club banger that will have the nation dancing. “Fooly” the club phenomenon that is once again taking off in Texas is the lead single from his sophomore project which is currently untitled and industry experts are saying that this one will go further than the Ricky Bobby.

Brandon is very proud to be responsible for not only his career but the beginning of a number of other artist careers under his label CKB. Now that CKB has joined with the industry veterans at Malaco Records they are preparing to once again sweep the nation with another B-Hamp classic and B-Hamp is preparing to take his new label mates with him.

So what’s next in the works B-Hamp? A movie deal is being discussed with one of the leading independent film entertainment studios in the country and a sunglass deal that has been signed with Forever the K. Michael Collection with major marketing being slated to begin in the summer of 2010. These two major steps along with working with up and coming artist signed to CKB entertainment will make 2010 a very busy year for raps newest superstar.

Mississippi Mass Choir to be honored - again

The award-winning Mississippi Mass Choir will add another honor to the heap Saturday at the 25th annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Nashville.

The choir will receive the Thomas A. Dorsey Notable Achievement Award, named for the Father of Gospel Music, at the event, the Malaco Music Group announced. The award recognizes outstanding work in the gospel music community and the Mississippi Mass Choir is only the second recipient of the award.

The Mississippi Mass Choir made their national debut at the awards in 1989 and picked up four honors — Choir of the Year, Artist of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Gospel Music Video.

They've won or have numerous nominations for every music industry award in addition to the Stellar, including the Grammy, Soul Train, Dove, National Association of Record Merchandisers, 3M Visionary, Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and more.

The choir now has a membership of 250.

"We are all about our Father's business," choir executive director Jerry Mannery is quoted as saying in a release. "We are not entertainers, we are ministers for Christ. Our mission remains constant; to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

~ Clarion Ledger 1/11/2010

Malaco Gospel Radio

The Malaco Music Group is proud to introduce our newest internet radio station www.MalacoGospelRadio.com.

MalacoGospelRadio.com is a 24 hour fully interactive player that allows listeners to view the artists and songs being played as well as display the album’s cover artwork that the song is associated with while making it easy to purchase that individual song, the full album or ringtone with just a click of a button; This revolutionary player gives full functionality to the listener. If you have an iPhone and would like to take MalacoGospelRadio.com on the go with you, “There’s an app for that.” Just click on the iPhone link.

D.A. Johnson, Executive Director, Gospel Division states, “MalacoGospelRadio.com was not created to compete with our media partners that has supported The Malaco Music Group family of labels for over 40 years; In contrast, MalacoGospelRadio.com was created to assist in preserving Gospel music’s extensive rich heritage, expose it through a new medium, and make the product readily available for Gospel music appreciators who enjoy and miss hearing the sounds of the legendary Choirs, Quartets, Groups & Soloists on terrestrial radio stations. Our ultimate goal is for MalacoGospelRadio.com to develop and become a full fledged functioning internet Gospel radio station with “Live” announcers throughout all day parts and to create specialty shows as does our sister internet radio station www.southernsoulradio.com.”

The Malaco Music Group houses the largest and the oldest catalog in the world. Over 150 combined years of great Gospel music between its wholly owned subsidiaries, Malaco Records, Savoy Records, Muscle Shoals Sound Gospel, Atlanta International Records (Air Gospel), and it’s newly founded 4 Winds Records along with its distributed labels. At MalacoGospelRadio.com you will have the opportunity to experience all 150 years of the best Gospel music ever recorded.
Hear artists such as The Father Of Gospel Thomas A. Dorsey, The King Of Gospel Rev. James Cleveland, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Love Coates, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sara Jordan Powell, Louise Candy Davis, The Caravans, The Soul Stirrers, The Jackson Southernaires, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Georgia Mass Choir, Wilmington Chester Mass Choir, Miami Mass Choir, The Godfather Of Gospel Rev. Timothy Wright, Rev. Charles Hayes & The Cosmopolitan Choir, Charles Fold & The Charles Fold Singers, Willie Neal Johnson & The Gospel Keynotes, Robert Blair & The Violinaires, The Williams Brothers, The Canton Spirituals, The Lumzy Sisters, The Truthettes, Slim & The Supreme Angels, Spencer Taylor & The Highway QC’s, Willie Banks & The Messengers, The Swan Silvertones, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Swanee Quintet, The Sensational Nightingales, The Pilgrim Jubilees, The Sunset Jubilaires, The Pace Sisters, Margaret “Babe” Allison & The Angelic Gospel Singers, Rev. Julius Cheeks, James Moore, Keith Pringle, O’landa Draper, Ricky Dillard & New Generation, The Mississippi Children’s Choir, Youth For Christ, The New York Restoration Choir Directed by Donnie McClurkin, The Florida Mass Choir, The Dallas / Ft Worth Choir (DFW), The Queen Of Gospel Albertina Walker, Dorothy Norwood, Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, LaShun Pace, Troy Sneed, Alvin Darling, James Bignon, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Luther Barnes & The Red Budd Chior, Rev. F.C. Barnes, Kirk Franklin, Byron Cage, Dottie Peoples, The Princess Of Praise & Worship Maurette Brown Clark, Carolyn Traylor, Men Of Standard, BeBe & CeCe Winans and many, many more.

To listen, click on the link www.MalacoGospelRadio.com

Let us know what you think. We want to hear from you! Send us an email at malaco@malaco.com

Quita Lumzy Of The Lumzy Sisters Passes

The Malaco Music Group regrets to announce the passing of Quita Lumzy of the renowned Quartet group, The Lumzy Sisters.

The funeral service will be held on Monday Nov. 2, 2009 at the First Baptist Church Of Lincoln Gardens, 771 Somerset Street, Somerset, NJ 08873.

The viewing will take place from 9-11am with the service starting at 11am.
On Sunday Nov. 1, there will be a musical celebration in memory of Ms. Quita Lumzy at her home church, Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 150 Throop Ave. New Brunswick, NJ. 08901. There will be a short viewing from 2-4 pm and the concert will start a 5 pm.

The funeral arrangements are being handled by:
Anderson Funeral Services
201 Sanford Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-545-7312

The Lumzy Sisters recorded two (2) albums on the Atlanta International Records (Air Gospel) label. If you are not familiar with their music ministry, please feel free to visit www.malaco.com to read and listen to this anointed woman of God, Ms. Quita Lumzy and her sisters.

Please hold the Lumzy family and friends in prayer.

Fontella Bass "Rescue Me" - 1965

Fontella Bass (born July 3, 1940, St. Louis, Missouri) is an American soul singer, who is best known for the 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me", which she also co-wrote.

The daughter of gospel singer Martha Bass (a member of the Clara Ward Singers), Bass showed great musical talent at an early age -- at just 5 years old she was providing the piano accompaniment for her grandmother's singing at funeral services, she was singing in her church's choir at six years old and by the time she was 9 she was accompanying her mother on tours throughout the American South and Southwest.

Fontella continued touring with her mother until the age of 16. As a teenager, Bass was attracted by more secular music. Throughout high school she began singing R&B songs at local contests and fairs. At 17, she started her professional career working at the Showboat Club near Chain of Rocks, Missouri. In 1961, she auditioned on a dare for the Leon Claxton carnival show and was hired to play piano and sing in the chorus for two weeks, making $175 per week for the two weeks it was in town. She wanted to go on tour with Claxton but her mother refused and according to Bass "... she literally dragged me off the train". It was during this brief stint with Claxton that she was heard by vocalist Little Milton and his bandleader Oliver Sain who hired her to back Little Milton on piano for concerts and recording.

Bass originally only played piano with the band, but one night Milton didn't show up on time so Sain asked her to sing and she was soon given her own featured vocal spot in the show. Milton and Sain eventually split up and Bass went with Sain; he also recruited male singer Bobby McClure and the group became known as "The Oliver Sain Soul Revue featuring Fontella and Bobby McClure".

Watch "Rescue Me" by clicking here.

Malaco is proud to announce the launch of MalacoGospelRadio.com, an online radio station. This station contains a fully interactive player that allows the listener to view album artwork, song title, artist name and contains purchase links for the full length album, single and ringtone.

The Malaco Music Group houses the largest and the oldest catalog in the world. Over 150 years of great Gospel music between its wholly owned subsidiaries, Malaco Records, Savoy Records, Muscle Shoals Sound Gospel, Atlanta International Records (Air Gospel), and its newly founded 4 Winds Records along with its distributed labels. At MalacoGospelRadio.com you will have the opportunity to experience all 150 years of the best Gospel Music ever recorded.

MalacoGospelRadio.com features Choirs, Quartets, Groups & Soloists. Hear artists such as The King Of Gospel Rev. James Cleveland, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Love Coates, The Caravans, The Soul Stirrers, The Jackson Southernaires, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Georgia Mass Choir, The Godfather Of Gospel Rev. Timothy Wright, Rev. Charles Hayes & The Cosmopolitan Choir, Charles Fold & The Charles Fold Singers, Willie Neal Johnson & The Gospel Keynotes, Robert Blair & The Violinaires, The Williams Brothers, The Canton Spirituals, The Lumzy Sisters, The Truthettes, Slim & The Supreme Angels, Spencer Taylor & The Highway QC’s, Willie Banks & The Messengers, The Swan Silvertones, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Swanee Quintet, The Sensational Nightingales, The Pilgrim Jubilees, Margaret “Babe” Allison & The Angelics, Rev. Julius Cheeks, James Moore, Keith Pringle, O’landa Draper, Ricky Dillard, Donnie McClurkin, Dorothy Norwood, Shirley Caesar, LaShun Pace, The Pace Sisters, Troy Sneed, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Luther Barnes, Rev. F.C. Barnes, Kirk Franklin, Byron Cage, Dottie Peoples, The Princess Of Praise & Worship Maurette Brown Clark, Carolyn Traylor, Men Of Standard, BeBe & CeCe Winans and many, many more.

To listen to MalacoGospelRadio.com, click here.

BEBE & CECE WINANS SING OPRAH WINFREY’S FAVORITE NEW SONG “GRACE” LIVE ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW

“Grace” Jumps to #1 on iTunes

The Dynamic Gospel Duo Also Nominated for 2009 Soul Train Music Award

(dateline – New York, NY – October 26, 2009; source: B&C Records)

On Friday, October 23, 2009, BeBe & CeCe Winans performed live on The Oprah Winfrey Show and sang Oprah’s new favorite song, “Grace,” from their chart-topping reunion album, STILL. After the studio and television audience heard the remarkable story of an alleged armed robber who ended up kneeling in prayer with his victim, the powerful lyrics and impact of “Grace” has ignited a whirlwind with the single jumping almost instantaneously to the #1 position on iTunes.

It’s not often that a lead news story can personify the lyrical content of a song, but the story of Angela Montez and Greg Smith has done just that. On October 19, 2009, what seemed like a normal day at an Indianapolis cash advance store became the true test of faith and a modern day example of grace. Montez was working when Smith entered the store, climbed over the counter and stuck a gun in her face. When she began to cry, the tide turned. Montez told Smith not to throw away his life and then began to pray. Soon after Smith also dropped to his knees and prayed with her for ten minutes. After hugging Montez, Smith then fled the store. While appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Smith stated that when he talked to Montez, he felt as though he was talking directly to “the Man upstairs.”

“As I sat in the green room listening to this real life story, it was almost unbelievable to hear about a woman who exemplifies what the song ‘Grace’ is all about,” says songwriter BeBe Winans. “Its easy to give grace to someone you know, but what Angela did was allow God’s grace to be demonstrated through her life and as the song says, ‘still love me when I’ve done wrong.’ I hope this song will resonate in people’s hearts and inspire all of us to realize the importance of grace in our everyday lives.”

STILL entered the Billboard charts as the #1 Gospel and Christian album when it was released on October 6, 2009. The success of the new album was also paralleled on the digital side as it claimed the #1 position on iTunes and Amazon’s Christian/Gospel charts. Proclaimed as “inspiring and uplifting” by the nation’s number one newspaper, USA Today, the platinum selling, Grammy-Award winning duo also received a 2009 Soul Train nomination in the Best Gospel Male, Female or Group category and will perform “Grace” live when the newly revamped award show tapes in Atlanta, GA on November 3rd. The 2009 Soul Train Awards will premiere on the new Centric Network on Sunday, November 29th.

BeBe and CeCe Video from Oprah

In case you missed the Oprah show on Friday, check out BeBe and CeCe's performance here:

Click here for Oprah performance

Enjoy!